1. Field of the Invention
Over the years, modern advances in hunting equipment have enhanced the sport, providing hunters with increased success. Among these products, high-powered rifle technology offers long-range targeting capabilities with a more true bullet flight that helps to enhance accuracy. However, even the most modern equipment cannot negate the effect that gravity has on targeting game. In any case, regardless of the equipment used, gravity draws a fired bullet toward the ground as is travels through the air. Depending upon the distance between the hunter and the target coupled with the speed of the bullet and drag forces, the distance that the bullet will drop prior to reaching the target varies. As a result, hunters are forced to estimate the bullet-drop and compensate by aiming slightly above their target. Some rifle scopes help the shooter to calculate this distance by providing special markings on the lens. However, the hunter is still required to calculate the estimated degree of overshoot in his head and is prone to mistakes that could cause him to miss the target. Accordingly, the need has developed for a game targeting system that takes the guess work out of bullet-drop calculations. The development of the present invention fulfills this need.
The present invention relates generally to sighting scopes used to aim rifles and the like, and more specifically to a rifle scope that incorporates the use of range finding laser electronics to detect target distance and automatically compensate for the bullet-drop of ammunition having a known muzzle velocity.
2. Description of the Related Art
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following references were considered related:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,174 issued to James W. Teetzel; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,776 issued to Daniel R. Shepherd; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,421 issued to Daniel R. Shepherd; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,107 issued to Gerald B. Holden; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,137 issued to Fred L. Jennie; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,072 issued to Gary Eldridge; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,546 issued to Rick R. Washer et al.; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,651 issued to Jeremy G. Dunne; and PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,168 issued to F. Richard Langner.
While several features exhibited within these references are incorporated into this invention, alone and in combination with other elements, the present invention is sufficiently different so as to make it distinguishable over the prior art.